Where to start her? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Where to start her?

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perferd

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Hello new here with a few questions...

I recently got my wife a motorcycle license actually she got it but I pushed her into it cause she wanted it for Years. Anyways I am trying to figure out where to go next with her. For myself I did a couple track schools and a handful of track days and I swear it was the greatest thing I ever did for learning how to ride be confident and respectful of all involved. I don't know much about the area tracks or school or what not and was wondering your thoughts? We are around the Windsor area and wouldn't really want to have to travel day and night to do something if you know what I mean. Obviously this would be for next season but I want to get some stuff planned out so she can really enjoy the road and be confident in her abilities...

Thx
 
racer5.ca

Probably your best bet, as they run days at Grand Bend Motoplex.
 
I'd start her on a supervised dirt ride or course.

MotoPark is a bit far but there might be others near you.
 
Welcome. A few questions are relevant to give accurate answers.

- Is she a complete brand new rider, or previous experience?
- What kind of bike is she planning on getting?
- Does she currently have her M1 or did she get her M2?

If she's brand new and planning on a street bike, many colleges offer the standardized "Gearing Up" motorcycle training that many people opt for. It's a 3 day course (typically a Friday evening and then all day Saturday and Sunday), they supply the bikes, you supply the (required, no exceptions, details are provided) proper gear. It really is a grounds-up course (most people have never even sat on a bike before) and at the end of day 2 the course includes the M2 upgrade testing, so when you come with an M1 and leave with your M2 qualification.

It's a good course for the brand new and even (IMHO) the experienced a like who may have rode in the past, are returning to riding, but never had any formal training previously.

A quick Google search shows that St Clair college right in Windsor does the course.

http://www.stclaircollege.ca/programs/coned/motorcycle_courses.html

Unfortunately it's really late in the season and they're full, as I suspect you'll find many other options are as well since everyone is rushing before the end of the season. If your wife just got her M1 it's going to expire unfortunately before she'll be able to upgrade it to M2 simply because of the fact college options are running out and the ministry stops doing M1 exit exams in a few weeks as well. There may be some other options (there are some private schools around that are also ministry approved for the M1 exit exam) that may run later in the year...but the way this fall is going the end of the season is closing in fast.
 
^^^ This ^^^

Racer 5 at Grand Bend is good, but she should have this and some practical riding experience first.
 
Thanks for the responses guys and I will check them all out...

She is a brand new rider who went through the learning curves course to get her M2. I believe she has to wait 60 days to turn in the paperwork but either way she can ride once the season starts next year. I will probably get her a used Monster or some sort of similar naked bike.

I looked at Racer5 and being in grand bend it seems great. The price doesn't look all that bad considering what you get out of the level 1-3. My only concern or question is literally being a brand new rider would that work out well for her? I think when I did the 4 levels of cali super bike school and another school in washington I was a brand new rider but I was also pretty hard core into riding and progressing doing track days and maybe more. That is not something my wife will get into I don't think but yet I feel the courses I did and several track days gave me more riding confidence and experience then several full seasons of just riding on the street...
 
I'm not sure putting someone with zero road (and a minuscule amount of actual riding overall) experience into a track environment would be the wisest idea unless said track course is geared towards total newbies. Just getting her on the road and riding with you would seem to be the next step IMHO.

When my my wife started this spring I initially let *her* lead so she could go at the pace she was comfortable at vs trying to follow me and potentially riding outside her comfort and skill level. I could also block traffic when it was needed or helpful that way. Eventuallly as she got her skills built up she started following me instead. Worked well, she logged over 5000 fun and safe kilometers this year.
 
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PrivatePilot said:
I'm not sure putting someone with zero road (and a minuscule amount of actual riding overall) experience into a track environment would be the wisest idea unless said track course is geared towards total newbies. Just getting her on the road and riding with you would seem to be the next step IMHO.

When my my wife started this spring I initially let *her* lead so she could go at the pace she was comfortable at vs trying to follow me and potentially riding outside her comfort and skill level. I could also block traffic when it was needed or helpful that way. Eventuallly as she got her skills built up she started following me instead. Worked well, she logged over 5000 fun and safe kilometers this year.
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When freddie spencer raced ama sbk at 17yrs ? he had never had a street bike. went on to be a multi world champion. go figure.

I have to go with dirt riding to let her gain some skills. Its fun, teaches you how a bike feels when you slide or lock up the brakes etc.. best bang for your buck, and you could join in on the rides.. Racer 5 after a season playing in the dirt and street riding. yes.
 
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perferd said:
I looked at Racer5 and being in grand bend it seems great. The price doesn't look all that bad considering what you get out of the level 1-3. My only concern or question is literally being a brand new rider would that work out well for her? I think when I did the 4 levels of cali super bike school and another school in washington I was a brand new rider but I was also pretty hard core into riding and progressing doing track days and maybe more. That is not something my wife will get into I don't think but yet I feel the courses I did and several track days gave me more riding confidence and experience then several full seasons of just riding on the street...
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One of the quickest young talent at SOAR showed up a couple of years ago with zero riding exp. By the end of the day he was dragging his knee.

Your wife will learn a lot faster than you will, they are much better in this aspect than males, and able to soak up a lot more instruction. Saw this all the time while teaching M1 exit course.
 
This all assumes she's interested in racing...or dirt?

My wife for example would have been interested in neither, not even remotely.

I guess our OP needs to chime in more as the suggestions for both of the above are not really applicable if she's just interested in street.

I'm not discounting track experience...wouldn't mind some myself if my joints weren't all a trainwreck, but if the OP's wife is a very timid rider who's paranoid to leave their own driveway at this point it might be prudent to get some basic experience first.
 
PrivatePilot said:
This all assumes she's interested in racing...or dirt?

My wife for example would have been interested in neither, not even remotely.

I guess our OP needs to chime in more as the suggestions for both of the above are not really applicable if she's just interested in street.

I'm not discounting track experience...wouldn't mind some myself if my joints weren't all a trainwreck, but if the OP's wife is a very timid rider who's paranoid to leave their own driveway at this point it might be prudent to get some basic experience first.
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Track days or dirt riding are not racing.

Just a great way to build skills and add confidence that you won't get from simply riding the street.

As for yourself, you don't think the average vintage riders joints don't hurt after riding.
 
Jayv said:
As for yourself, you don't think the average vintage riders joints don't hurt after riding.
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Don't doubt it but I have a ****** set of circumstances that would result in me being 3/4 crippled after a day hunched over any sort of sport bike, or riding any type or dirt terrain.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to pooh pooh it, but again, really depends on what she wants to do in the end. Forcing her into something she's not interested in is unlikely to be a positive start to her motorcycle experience.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Don't doubt it but I have a ****** set of circumstances that would result in me being 3/4 crippled after a day hunched over any sort of sport bike, or riding any type or dirt terrain.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to pooh pooh it, but again, really depends on what she wants to do in the end. Forcing her into something she's not interested in is unlikely to be a positive start to her motorcycle experience.
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how much track and or dirt riding have you done?
 
mbroyda said:
how much track and or dirt riding have you done?
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Grew up riding in the dirt, spent more time on the dirtbike than I did a bicycle.
 
Sometimes I think it would be nice if the Squeeze rode her own bike but the truth is you never have to wait for someone riding pillion.
 
Yeah that's the point. I was wondering if it being a track or racing school is that going to make it a tough sell to her. In the end though for me I looked at my schools and track days as riding experience and a place to learn and hone my skills as a rider. I don't think it would happen right away in the season hell not sure it it would even happen in the first season but I am just getting my ducks in a row...
 
perferd said:
Yeah that's the point. I was wondering if it being a track or racing school is that going to make it a tough sell to her. In the end though for me I looked at my schools and track days as riding experience and a place to learn and hone my skills as a rider. I don't think it would happen right away in the season hell not sure it it would even happen in the first season but I am just getting my ducks in a row...
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Track is a good place to learn, regardless of your riding experience, problem is that most people that have never been on the track automatically associate it with racing which is not the case.

at the end of the day you got a lot of options listed here, you can look into all of them, and see which suits you best

just make sure you research all these options yourself; just because someone said something on a forum, doesnt make it correct
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